Method of automatically augmenting an electronic message

Abstract

A method of automatically augmenting an electronic message, such as an email message, webmail, IM message, posting on a social network site, webpage or message in any other medium or format with automatically generated content (a ‘Donation Mechanic’) within the footer of consumer emails. The recipient of the message can select the Donation Mechanic to trigger an event, such as a payment from the Brand to the Cause.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention relates to a method of automatically augmenting an electronic message, such as an email message, webmail, IM message, posting on a social network site, webpage or message in any other medium or format.[0003]2. Description of the Prior Art[0004]One context in which this invention can be implemented is in the field of donating to charities; conventionally, and perhaps cynically, charities might be said to have one core product—guilt. Charities might then reasonably be said to be adopting a 1950's push marketing model to distribute guilt. Like classic above the line advertising, this is both inefficient, expensive, and indiscriminate. Further, the conventional charitable giving model thrives on disasters, which, with even greater cynicism, might be said to be free PR, carried by primetime TV. Because of the dependence on disasters, charities often experience very unpredictable and spikey revenues. Some chari...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0050]The Free2Give™ augmented messaging platform enables ordinary users of technical messaging platforms like email and social networking sites to now give to causes, everyday, for free, and free of guilt. Causes enjoy a massively scalable recurring income source with zero acquisition cost. Brands enjoy massively scalable trusted advocacy of their brands by individuals who allow their brands to be inserted into the messages to friends and colleagues and effective measurement and tracking of their CSR and Marketing budgets.

[0051]This frictionless creation of strong brand advocates can grow virally. It is frictionless because a message incorporating a Donation Mechanic for a specific Brand (and Cause) can be immediately and at zero cost forwarded by a recipient to one or a thousand further recipients in a chain of recipients: the Donation Mechanic is maintained or preserved as the message is forwarded to new recipients in a chain or channel of communication.

Problems solved by technology

Like classic above the line advertising, this is both inefficient, expensive, and indiscriminate.

Because of the dependence on disasters, charities often experience very unpredictable and spikey revenues.

The problem is that this only works for big brands and big charities who have the budgets to implement these campaigns and market them successfully.

Inventory problem limits the relationship to one or two product lines only, and big name causes.

Increasingly, Corporate Social Responsibility budgets (a tax write-off for most) are coming under real pressure for accountability with shareholders.

Precise amounts of cash may also be a budget issue—perhaps I can only afford £5 right now.

So donating feels both cheap and unfulfilling.

And it is driven by guilt, so it now involves two bad feelings.

And for the charities, the conventional approaches to obtaining public financial support and profile, namely mass mail shots, TV advertising, street-based sales people, are costly and inefficient.

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